Coach Eric Mangini hinted yesterday that he might stay with Jay Feely as his kicker until further notice.
“I haven’t made a final decision on that,” the Jets coach said when asked if he would keep two kickers – Feely and Mike Nugent – on the roster. “It’s nothing that I’d be opposed to. Jay has done a great job since he’s been here. He’s made some really clutch kicks. He has done a lot of good things. I’m really happy with him and I am not opposed to keeping two.”
Mangini said he had a gut feeling to go with Feely on Thursday although he brought Nugent on the trip to New England.
“Jay is kicking really well,” Mangini said. “He’s kicking with a lot of confidence and Mike is getting better each week, but there is no need to rush this process.”
Feely is 18-of-22 and has made his last eight field goals. He hit a 57-yarder to send the Jets into OT in Oakland, a 55-yarder at home last week in a 4-for-4 performance and the 34-yard game winner in OT on Thursday night.
Mangini defended rookie CB Dwight Lowery, who was beaten for another two TD passes Thursday, and said he’s going to keep playing him.
“We have been rotating them through and putting other guys in different packages,” Mangini said. “It’s important that Dwight continues to progress and to fix some of the things that have come up. He’s a young kid. He’s been given a lot of responsibility for a young kid and there are going to be a lot of mistakes and there are going to be a lot of growing pains.
“There’s a lot of pressure on him because so many people work towards him, instead of working towards Darrelle (Revis), which is understandable. . . . It’s pretty unique for a young guy in the fourth round to come in and play as much as he has played.”
